The invention resides in a roof storage compartment cover for convertible vehicle wherein the roof storage compartment cover is pivotally supported on a vehicle body and is movable between closed and open positions by a cover operating mechanism which is mechanically coupled to the roof operating mechanism by way of an over-dead center structure by way of which the direction of movement of the vehicle roof is reversed during the transfer from the closed position to the storage position so that the storage compartment cover is closed when the vehicle roof is in the closed position and also when it is deposited in the storage compartment.
DE 196 50 402 A1 discloses a roof storage compartment for a removable vehicle folding roof which is disposed in the rear of a vehicle and can be closed by a roof storage compartment cover, but which can be opened for depositing the folding roof in the storage compartment and for lifting it out of the storage compartment. The storage compartment cover is coupled to the storage compartment structure by way of a four-link operating mechanism and is opened and closed by means of a hydraulic actuator. The hydraulic actuator is controlled depending on the control for the roof operating mechanism such that the movement of the roof and the movement of the storage compartment cover are electronically coupled. This however requires separate actuators for the movement of the vehicle roof and for the movement of the roof storage compartment cover.
DE 101 17 767 A1 discloses a roof storage compartment cover for a storage compartment accommodating a removable vehicle roof wherein the roof storage compartment cover is pivotally supported on the vehicle body and can be opened and closed by means of a compartment cover operating mechanism. The storage compartment cover operating mechanism is coupled to the roof operating mechanism by way of an over-dead center drive arrangement, so that, upon operation of the vehicle roof, the movement of the vehicle roof operating mechanism is transferred by way of the over-dead center drive arrangement to the storage compartment cover operating mechanism whereby the storage compartment cover is automatically opened and closed. During the transfer movement, the over-dead center drive arrangement passes a dead center position in which the movement of the storage compartment cover is reversed.
The arrangement however is highly complicated. Between the main operating arm of the roof operating mechanism and the roof storage compartment cover operating mechanism, a plurality of levers and links for the transfer of the movement are provided. The pivot movement of the main operating arm of the roof operating mechanism is transmitted by a pivotally supported lever to an intermediate lever which is pivotally connected to a coupling lever which again is supported on the vehicle body by a pivot joint. The coupling lever is pivotally connected to a transfer lever which is part of the roof storage compartment cover operating mechanism. For a kinematically clearly defined movement, another control lever is mounted on the vehicle body which is pivotally connected to the roof storage compartment cover operating mechanism.
Consequently, between the main operating arm of the roof, operating mechanism and the roof storage compartment cover, altogether six levers or, respectively, links are required for the movement control of the roof storage compartment cover. This involves substantial linkage and design expenses. In addition, the arrangement requires a substantial amount of space.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a roof storage compartment cover for a roof storage compartment in which a removable vehicle roof can be deposited wherby little construction expenses and little energy for its movement depending on the movement of the vehicle roof are required.